The nation has reached a critical juncture with its current surface transport. (CST) policies and programs. Demand has outpaced the capacity of the system, resulting in increased congestion. In addition, without significant changes in funding levels or planned spending, the Highway Trust Fund -- the major source of fed. highway and transit funding -- is projected to incur significant deficits in the years ahead. This testimony discusses: (1) recent findings on the structure and performance of the CST program; (2) a framework to assess proposals for restructuring of the CST program; (3) potential options to fund invest. in the CST system; and (4) recent findings on the benefits, costs, and trade-offs of using public-private partnerships to help fund transport. invest. Ill.Current surface transportation programs do not effectively address the
transportation challenges the nation faces. ... In addition, the programs often do
not use the best tools or best approaches, such as using more rigorous economic
... While some of these goals have led to new grant programs in areas such as
transit, highway safety, and motor carrier safety, others ... Although some transit
formula grant programs also give grantees considerable discretion to allocate
funds, a portion ofanbsp;...